Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sworn in as new president of the Philippines

Asia-Pacific, News July 1, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has sworn in as the President of the Philippines on June 30 in a ceremony in the country’s capital Manila. Marcos Jr. is the 17th president of the Philippines, succeeding the outgoing former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Son of the former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, the 64-years old Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is commonly known by his boyhood nickname ‘Bongbong’ in the political and media circles of the Philippines. His inauguration as the elected President of the Philippines marks a stunning comeback for the Marcos dynasty, after being ousted in a popular revolt in 1986.

The inauguration ceremony took place in the National Museum at 4:00 PM local time. Marcos Jr. was accompanied by his wife and three sons, as he waved and smiled at the crowd while observing a military parade and aerial display of fighter jets. Daughter of the former President Rodrigo Duterte and former mayor of Davos city, Sara Duterte also took oath as the new Vice President of the Philippines.

During his first speech as the President of the Philippines, Marcos Jr. thanked the crowd and his supporters for delivering what he describes as “one of the biggest electoral mandates” in the country’s democratic history.

During his speech, Marcos Jr. also paid tribute to his late father and former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who ruled the country for two decades with an iron fist. “I once knew a man who saw how little had been achieved since independence. He got it done,” Marcos Jr. said. “So will it be with his son. You will get no excuses from me.”

*^{Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. delivers a speech during a campaign rally in Lipa, Batangas province, the Philippines, on April 20, 2022. (Image Credit: Reuters)}*

Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. won the 2022 Philippines general elections in May this year with a heavy mandate to lead Philippine’s fragile democracy. A high turnout was seen on elections day among the nation’s 67.5 million eligible voters, with many lining up in front of the polling stations since dawn to cast their votes. By the end of the polling day, Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte had racked up a staggering lead of at least 60% votes against their main rivals Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan.

Almost half of his father’s rule in the Philippines was under martial law that started in 1965. This helped him to extend his grip on power until he was overthrown as a result of public revolt in 1989 and his family’s retreat turned into exile. Thousands of Marcos opponents were jailed, killed, or disappeared during his rule, and the family name became synonymous with cronyism, extravagance, and the disappearance of billions of dollars from state coffers. However, after almost 36 years that his father was ousted, Marcos Jr. takes over the highest office in the Philippines to mark a political comeback for the Marcos family.

Many political analysts believe that Marcos Jr.’s popularity was powered by an aggressive social media drive, which proved especially appealing to voters not old enough to have experienced the years of the dictatorship of his father.